Variable door frame



5 w. AIGAVEY VARIABLE DOOR FRAME 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 2, 1954Warren A. 60 way INVENTOR.

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' Nov. 20, 1956 W. A. GAVEY VARIABLE DOOR FRAME Filed March 2, 1954Fig.2

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United States Patent .VARIABLE DOOR FRAME Warren A. Gavey, Orfordville,Wis. Application March 2, 1954, Serial No. 413,505

6 Claims. (Cl. 2011') This invention relates to a variable door framewhich has as its particular object the provision of means for effectinga satisfactory seal.

The construction of this invention features a vertical member which isadapted to be attracted into engagement with the free edge of a door soas to form'a comparatively tight seal with the door even though the dooror frame structure were to be warped or otherwise misaligned. Thispermits a highly attractive closure to be attained while assuring asatisfactory closure for doors and like closures used in extremeclimates.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of resilientmeans for urging the vertical fmember inwardly of a slot formed in thedoor frame so that the vertical member is unobtrusive in appearance andsafely positioned in the door frame when the door is in an open o n- IStill further objects and features of this invention reside in theprovision of a variable door frame which includes means forautomatically limiting theinnermost position that the vertical,membercan attain, for adjusting the stresses on the leaf springutilized to hold the vertical member within the door frame, whichconstruction is comparatively simple to install and inexpensive tomanufacture thereby permitting wide distribution.

These, together with the various ancillary objects and features of theinvention which will become apparent as thevfollowing description,proceeds are attained by this variable door frame, a preferredembodimentuof which has been illustrated in the accompanying drawings-byway of example only, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the door and door frame comprising thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view illustrating the door inassociation with the door frame with the door in a closed position andmagnetically attracting the vertical member;

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line33 in Figure 4 and illustrating the construction of the various elementsof the upper guide block and means for mounting the leaf spring;

Figure 4 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line4-4 in Figure 2 illustrating the manner in which the leaf spring isattached to the vertical member;

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to that of Figure 4 butillustrating the door in an open position;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view as taken along the plane of line6--6 in Figure 2, illustrating the construction of the lower guideblock; and

Figure 7 is an exploded perspective view of the upper guide block andelements associated therewith.

With continuing reference to the accompanying drawings wherein likereference numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views,reference numeral 10 generally designates a door which is hingedlymounted to one vertical member of a door frame generally indicated byreference numeral 12. Door frame 12 includes the 2,770,849 Patented Nov.20, 1956 ICC vertical members 14, and 16, and an upper transversemember18.

The door 10 is provided with a plurality of magnets 20 embedded in thefree edge of the door. The magnets 20 maybe of any suitable size andshape. 1 The vertical member 14 of the door frame 12 is so constructedas to form a vertically extending slot 22 therein. Bymeans of screws 24and 26 an opposed pair of vertically extending guides 28 and 30 aresecured to the vertical member 14'of the door frame 12. The guides 28and 30 have substantially U-shaped portions 32 and 34, respectively,which extend inwardly into the slot 22.

, As can be best seen in Figures 2 and 6, a lower guide block 36 issecured by screws as at 38 to the U-shaped portions 32 and 34 of theguides 28 and 30. 'Threadedly secured in the lower guide block 36 is asetscrew 40, the setscrew 40 being adjustable to provide a limit stopfor the vertical member 42 which is substantially U-shaped'in crosssection.

.An upper guide block 44 is secured to the U-shaped portions 32 and 34of the guides 28 and 30 as by screws 46. A setscrew 48 for providing alimit stop for the U-shaped member 42 is threadedly secured in the upperguide block 44.

' By means of a pin 50, a pivot member 52 is pivotally mounted withinthe recess 54 in the guide block 44, the

pin extending through an aperture 56 in the pivot member 54'. The pivotmember 52 has another aperture 58 therethrough and a threaded fastener60 extends through the guide block 44 and through the aperture 58.

The upper portion of the pivot member 52 as at 62 is of reduced crisssectional area and a substantially U-shaped collar 64 is adapted toembrace the portion 62 of thepivot member 52. An aperture 66 forreception of the fastener 60 is formed in the collar 64 and a nut 68within theslot 22. However, when the dooris closed,

the magnets 20 will attractthe vertical member42 into engagement withthe free edge of the door 10. This vertical member will then form asatisfactory seal with the door 10.

As soon as the door 10 is opened, the spring 72 will again retract thevertical member 42. It is to be noted that the position of the pivotmember 52, while the spring 72 is under stress, can be adjusted byadjusting the position of the nut 68 thereby adjusting the stress on thespring 72. The screws 40 and 48 limit the innermost position of thevertical member 40 so that a highly attractive and substantially flushsurface for the vertical member 14 of the door frame 12 can be attained.

Since from the foregoing the construction and advantages of thisvariable door frame are readily apparent, further description isbelieved to be unnecessary.

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art, after a consideration of the foregoing specificationand accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention tothe precise embodiment shown and described, but all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be readily resorted to which fallwithin the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A variable door frame for use in combination with a door havingmagnets embedded in one edge thereof, said frame having a vertical framemember with a vertic'ally extending slot therein, a vertical member ofsubstantially U-shape in cross section resiliently mounted in said slot,resilient means urging said vertical member into said slot, said magnetsattracting said vertical member into engagement with said edge of saiddoor when said door is closed.

2. A variable door frame for use in combination with a door havingmagnets embedded in one edge thereof, said frame having a vertical framemember with a vertically extending slot therein, a vertical member ofsubstantially U-shape in cross section resiliently mounted in said slot,resilient means urging said vertical member into said slot, said magnetsattracting said vertical member into engagement with said edge of saiddoor when said door is closed, an opposed pair of guides for receivingsaid vertical member extending into said slot, an upper guide block anda lower guide block secured to said guides and limit members adjustablysecured in said upper and lower guide blocks for limiting the inwardmovement of said vertical member.

3. A variable door frame for use in combination with a door havingmagnets embedded in one edge thereof, said frame having a vertical framemember with a vertically extending slot therein, a vertical member ofsub stantially U-shape in cross section resiliently mounted in saidslot, resilient means urging said vertical member into said slot, saidmagnets attracting said vertical member into engagement with said edgeof said door when said door is closed, an opposed pair of guides forreceiving said vertical member extending into said slot, an upper guideblock and a lower guide block secured to said guides and limit membersadjustably secured to said upper and lower guide blocks for limiting theinward movement of said vertical member, said resilient means includinga leaf spring terminally secured to said vertical member and said upperguide block.

4. A variable door frame for usein combination with a door havingmagnets embedded in one edge thereof, said frame having a vertical framemember with a vertically extending slot therein, a vertical member ofsubstantially U-shape in cross section resiliently mounted in said slot,resilient means urging said vertical member intosaid slot, said magnetsattracting said vertical memher into engagement with said edge of saiddoor when said door is closed, an opposed pair of guides for receivingsaid vertical member extending into said slot, an upper guide block anda lower guide block secured to said guides and limit members adjustablysecured to said upper and lower guide blocks for limiting the inwardmovement of said vertical member, said resilient means including a leafspring t'ri'fiiiially secured to said Vertical member and said upperguide block, and means associated with said upper guide block foradjusting the stress on said spring.

5 A variable door frame for use in combination with a door havingmagnets embedded in one edge thereof, said frame having a vertical framemember with a vertically extending slot therein, a vertical member ofsubstantially U-shape in cross section resiliently mounted in said slot,resilient means urging said vertical member into said slot, said magnetsattracting said vertical member into engagement with said edge of saiddoor when said door is closed, an opposed pair of guides for receivingsaid vertical rnembers secured to said frame and having portionsextending into said slot, an upper guide block and a lower guide blocksecured to said guides, and limit members threadedly adjustably securedin said upper and lower guide blocks for limiting the inwardmovement ofsaid vertical memher.

6. A variable door frame for use in combination with a door havingmagnets embedded in one edge thereof, said frame having a vertical framemember with a vertically extending slot therein, a vertical member ofsubstantially U-shape in cross section resiliently mounted in said slot,resilient meansurging said vertical member into said slot, said magnetsattracting said vertical member into engagement with said edge of saiddoor when said door is closed, an opposed pair of guides for receivingsaid vertical members secured to said frame and having portionsextending into said slot, an upper guide block and a lower guide blocksecured to said guides, and limit members threaded- 1y adjustablysecured in said upper and lower guide blocks for limiting the inwardmovement of said vertical member, said upper guide block having a recessin the lower portion thereof, a pivot member pivotally mounted in saidrecess, said resilient means including a leaf spring terminally securedto said vertical member and said upper block, a threaded fastenerextending through said upper guide block and said pivot member, andmeans carried by said threaded fastener engaging said pivot member foradjusting the stress on said leaf spring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS484,551 Classen Oct. 18, 1892 1,973,210 Hufnail et al. Sept. 11, 19342,611,158 Gregory Sept. 23, 1952

